Quietest CPU cooling for Xeon Haswell-E 6 core build?

[monkey12]

I am building a PC with a Xeon E5-1650 v3 6 Core CPU (3.5ghz).

What is the best way to cool it as quietly as possible? I would hope to get in the low 20 db range overall or less (approaching a mac pro).

I will be using statistical analysis and music creation software, I probably won't be doing much serious gaming. I assume that could tax the CPU. The other option I have is to return my components and buy a Dell workstation, but I have no idea if they are quiet or not.

I ordered a noctua D15 before i saw this site, should I keep it or return it? From the table it appears that the Kraken is the best followed by the Genesis and the Thermalright, etc, with the Noctua down the list.

Should I just go with the Kraken then? Is that the quietest solution that will keep the fans from spinning up loud when I put the CPU to task? I realize it isn't the quietest and doesn't go down as low as some of the air coolers according to the table, but perhaps it would be quieter when the CPU ramps up? The Genesis is also an option, as is the others. It appears it goes very quiet overall. So which is the best option between these that will keep the computer quietest at various CPU usage levels as it's all pretty confusing.

I have a Fractal R5 case on order too FYI.

Thanks
Monkey

[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

The noise level and noise character of a system is determined by all of the parts within. So, if you go with a louder cooler like the liquid cooled Kraken, your CPU might run a few degrees cooler, but it will be significantly louder than the fans in your case...and potentially louder than your gfx card. The D15 is the better choice.

[monkey12]

I see. Thanks. So, the Kraken is listed on top of the table but is not considered quiet even when you use the fan setup that the review mentions?

Is the Genesis or something else worth it then over the D15? I want the quietest CPU solution possible for the Xeon. I can easily return the D15 since it hasn't arrived yet.

Also, can water cooling get quieter than air if I buy separate components?


Here is the build. If there is something that can be improved for quietness please let me know.

My graphics card is low power, it is a business card - NVS510 with a tiny fan.
Power Supply is Seasonic Gold 650
Case - Fractal R5
Motherboard- Asus Deluxe WS X99
Samsung Pro SSD and Seagate Constellation HDD
32 GB ECC RAM

[CA_Steve]

I see. Thanks. So, the Kraken is listed on top of the table but is not considered quiet even when you use the fan setup that the review mentions?

Not the correct conclusion. It's on the top of the table for it's great thermal performance in the 17 to 21dB(A) noise range. If you want LESS than 17dB for the cooler, then you need to look elsewhere. The NH-D15 with 2 fans goes down to 13-14dB and is only 3C warmer. You can notice 3dB difference, you probably won't notice 3C.

Is the Genesis or something else worth it then over the D15? I want the quietest CPU solution possible for the Xeon. I can easily return the D15 since it hasn't arrived yet.

It's mostly a wash down in the 12-14dB range among the top contenders. For the Genesis, you'd have to replace the fans to get the tabled performance. <shrugs>

Also, can water cooling get quieter than air if I buy separate components?

Quieter, probably not. If you want to spend $200-300, you can buy a pump, reservoir, radiator, fan kit that gets down in the 14-15dB range. See the trials and travails of a liquid cooled gaming PC. If you were doing insane overclocking/overvolting, then it could be worthwhile. But, you have a Xeon. No overclock for you.

Here is the build. If there is something that can be improved for quietness please let me know.

My graphics card is low power, it is a business card - NVS510 with a tiny fan.
Power Supply is Seasonic Gold 650
Case - Fractal R5
Motherboard- Asus Deluxe WS X99
Samsung Pro SSD and Seagate Constellation HDD
32 GB ECC RAM

gpu: tiny fans tend to run at insane rpms. Do you already have this card? If not, what features do you need? Maybe there's a passive card out there...

HDD: 7200 rpm drive noise is noticable. Do you need the speed or is it just data storage?

RAM: make sure it doesn't have heat spreaders that conflict with whatever cooler you go with.

[monkey12]

Hi.

Thanks for your help.

I'll probably go with the D15 then. Do you know if I could go with one fan without risking overheating the CPU?

Regarding the GPU, It can sustain 4 monitors at 4K resolutions. I plan to get another for 8 monitors as I do stock trading. I have not found a passive card that can do that. The card is on its way but could be returned. They advertise that the fan is quiet:

Ultra-Quiet High Reliability Cooling Solution
Built with a highly reliable, ultra-quiet fansink that efficiently cools the graphics without taxing the system fans resulting in a quieter desktop environment, as well as enabling multi-NVS510 configurations in workstations and desktop systems.

The HDD: If I could get enough of my audio samples onto the SDD, I could get a cheaper and slower storage drive. I'll have to think about that, because those SSD's are expensive. Using audio samples benefit from fast transfer speeds.

Is the case good enough? Would I benefit from changing the fans on the case?

Thanks

[CA_Steve]

GPU - okydoke.

DH-15: the table on this page tells all. There's more benefit of the dual fans at the lower rpms/noise levels than at the high end. Less than a dB difference at the bottom but dual gives 4C better cooling. So, no benefit to going with one fan.

SSD: I doubt that you need a high priced SSD to merely read audio samples. That's not a lot of bandwidth required. Consider a 250GB class 850 Pro for your OS/programs/ scratch disk, a 250GB (or whatever) 850 EVO or similar for samples, and a slow 5400rpm drive for data storage.

Case: The two stock fans are fine. Try em out and then decide for yourself. You can always replace them.